Here's to Christmas - Skulduggery Pleasant FanFic

Chapter 14: 20th December

Valkyrie frowned and looked at the picture on the front of the card. It showed a brightly lit, snow covered New York city, the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center glittering like it was covered in a thousand diamonds. She turned it over. There was no writing on the back except these five words;

Parting is such sweet Sorrow.

Valkyrie smiled to herself and looked back at the front of the postcard. China probably took the photo herself.

There was no return address. She shrugged to herself. Maybe that was ok.

*****************

Skulduggery called the next day on the 21st December. Unusually for this part of Ireland, a thick blanket of snow covered the ground like icing on a cake. Next door, two kids of about nine years old had built a (slightly frightening) snowman wearing a red scarf and a purple hat. The angry old man who lived opposite her had opened his door two days ago, seen the snow and had slammed the door in frustration before (angrily) shovelling as much snow as he could into a big pile next to the path, and the rascals of the  neighbourhood had taken full advantage of this by using it as an easy access snowball maker.

She picked up the phone as yet another snowball hit her window. She didn't really mind, though.

"Hello, Skulduggery Pleasant."

"Valkyrie Cain. And how are you?"

"Surprisingly warm. Turns out I have a really effective boiler when it's working. How may I be of help?"

"I actually have a bit of a favour to ask of you."

"Ok."

"Well. Quite a big favour really."

"Go ahead."

"Come to think of it, it's a pretty massive favour. I won't mind if you say no, I mean, I would say no..."

"Skul! What is it?"

Skulduggery sighed. "There was a vote the other day to determine the speaker for the New Year's meeting, and...you were elected."

Valkyrie froze, her cup of tea halfway to her mouth.

"Valkyrie? Are you still there?"

"I was what?"

"You were elected to speak. At the meeting. I'm sorry. But the good news is I don't have to do it."

"How is that good news?"

There was a pause. "It's mainly good news for me."

Valkyrie sighed, exasperated. "I don't think it needs to be said that I'll probably need to sleep on that."

"Yes. But I'm glad yoy haven't turned it down right away."

She smiled a little. "Yeah."

"Are you coming to the Christmas ball, by the way? You never sent your RSVP back."

"Oh." The Christmas ball would mean talking to sorcerers she didn't like, some kind of dancing and, possibly worst of all, facing Skulduggery. "I don't know. If I didn't send the RSVP back I can't go, can I?"

"Since when has a silly RSVP stopped us from gatecrashing a party? Get back to me."

And he hung up.

Well.

Why had she been asked to speak? She'd previously been happy to call herself the most hated, feared sorceress in Ireland. Maybe even Europe. The world? Maybe. So why, now, were they vying for her presence? Why the hell would they want her opinion, her advice? She gave terrible advice! What, because she'd solved a mystery all of a sudden she was Sherlock Holmes?

And then there was the issue of the Christmas ball. The RSVP was not an issue. She'd gatecrashed a thousand parties and she'd gatecrash a thousand more - it was just the idea of interacting with humans. Was that really how she wanted to spend her Christmas Eve? Smiling at people she didn't like?

Excuses.

She knew, deep down, that wasn't why she was hesitating. A year ago, she would have gone in a heartbeat.

But a year ago, she wasn't hopelessly in love with her best friend.

There was only ine person in the world who could possibly help her now. She called a taxi, shrugged her jacket on and made her way to China's old house.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Oh God I'm so sorry, I took an unplanned hiatus for very little reason. I had loads of ideas for other fics and I just HAD TO WRITE.

Hopefully I'll be updating far more regularly. On the upside, I finished my first fic! It's a Phanfic so very different from the kind of thing I usually write. I've also just started a Jalex which is either going to be the best yet ir it's going to burn out within four chapters.

Sorry this chapter was short and without substance but I really needed to update.

Vote and comment darlings x

MTWYS77 XXX